The UK government has announced a £61 million contract to revive artillery barrel production in Yorkshire for the first time in nearly two decades, according to a press release issued on 22 January 2025.

Defence Equipment & Support (DE&S) has awarded the contract to BAE Systems, partnering with Sheffield Forgemasters, to produce barrel forgings in Yorkshire. These components will be sent to Ukraine for final assembly and integration into artillery systems.

The initiative forms part of a broader £4.5 billion military aid package for Ukraine in 2025, aimed at enhancing the country’s air defences and sustaining frontline capabilities against Russian forces.

The announcement coincided with Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer’s first visit to Ukraine since taking office. During the trip, he stated: “Ukraine’s security is our security. We must continue to do everything possible to ensure Ukraine is in the strongest position – that is why the UK is going further than ever before, ramping up military and humanitarian support. The British people have never wavered in their support for Ukraine, and today UK firms are stepping up to support Ukraine’s military capabilities.”

Defence Secretary John Healey highlighted the UK’s expanded commitment, saying: “We are stepping up UK support for Ukraine throughout 2025. Our plan will increase Ukraine’s military capability, expand our training offer, strengthen defence industrial ties, and dial up the pressure on Putin.”

Major General Anna-Lee Reilly, Director of Strategic Capability, Engagement and Operations at DE&S, highlighted the domestic impact: “Not only do these contracts provide vital equipment to the Armed Forces of Ukraine, they also re-establish barrel manufacturing in the UK for the first time in a generation. This is a great example of the MOD, DE&S, and defence industry working together to support Ukraine.”

Funding includes £3 billion already committed for lethal aid and £1.5 billion from a £2.26 billion G7 loan, to be repaid using profits from frozen Russian sovereign assets. The government stated the contracts would bolster UK jobs, particularly in Yorkshire, while advancing its “growth agenda and Plan for Change”.

George Allison
George Allison
George has a degree in Cyber Security from Glasgow Caledonian University and has a keen interest in naval and cyber security matters and has appeared on national radio and television to discuss current events. George is on Twitter at @geoallison
Twitter

RELATED ARTICLESMORE FROM AUTHOR

47 COMMENTS

  2. Good Day! Great news! A step forward in the positive direction. Let’s hope it can be sustained year to year!
    Nick Hamburg

    • Well probably not as producing barrels is just a sideline for SFM, it’s their capacity for large, precision forgings that’s their main Strategic business. TBH the 2021 decision by MOD to Nationalise SFM for £2.6 million and then start to invest £400 million in it was just in the nick of time.
      That decision was based on the work they do as a vital part of the UK DNE and another close ally, there just isn’t anyone left in UK who can provide their product.
      If do actually find it ironic that SFM is pretty well located in and on what used to be the Vickers Don Valley gun factory, it’s all come full circle.

  4. Are these barrels only for Ukraine? all this stuff etc for Ukraine who’s budget does come out of as it seems a bit of smoke mirrors about that.

      • When originally reported on here it seemed to suggest for British use too but I’m not sure that was a misunderstanding but I guess the capability may lead to British used barrels too at some stage, all starts with a single step.

      • Actually its not that clear…AS-90 and L118 barrels mentioned originally.

        There appears to be 3 facilties on the way in Sheffield…

        Forgemasters – Owned by MoD – Making barrel forgings….not sure if they’re machining the barrels though…
        BAE – Near to Forgemasters, still in build – This will make M777 components (like Barrow did)…will do barrels eventually inc. 57mm, 40mm
        Rheinmetall – Not sure if the build has started yet…will make 120mm barrels for CR3 and 155mm barrels for RCT155

        Suspect the forgings part is the quickest to get off the ground. It wouldn’t shock me if the forgings initially go to Ukraine for machining there…or to other countries for machining for Ukraine, they’re making at least 20 new 155mm Bohdana 4.0 SPG and c10 Bohdana B 155m towed guns per month.

    • Funding includes £3 billion already committed for lethal aid and £1.5 billion from a £2.26 billion G7 loan, to be repaid using profits from frozen Russian sovereign assets. The government stated the contracts would bolster UK jobs, particularly in Yorkshire, while advancing its “growth agenda and Plan for Change”.

      • ‘includes £3 billion already committed for lethal aid’, i am just trying work out if our defence budget is used for Ukraine as the last lot never clearly said no, and its just me trying get to bottom of the funding ie with Dept is paying for this as the restock of ammo comes out the defence budget with under pressure normally with out funding the war in Ukraine.

        • The £3bn definitely goes through the MOD budget. The last lot clearly said yes, especially when it went up from £2.5bn to £3bn, and the extra £500m was advertised as part of their planned increase in Defence spending.

    • As we have virtually no 155mm guns left and all those AS90’s need barrels ASAP it makes perfect sense to get the facility up and running to keep them in the fight. The next generation RCH155 is still just a project but when they start building them the intention is for Rheinmetal to open a gun factory to produce 155 & 120 barrels in the UK using steel made by SFM.
      If I were a betting man I’d say it will be in Sheffield 🤔

      • Aah there we go makes perfect sense considering that original statement we heard and reported on the original article on here I mention above.

      • Hopefully but what many people don’t realise is that there is no new metal being dug up and made in Sheffield. It’s all done with recycled steel brought in, and given Sheffield is bang in the centre of the country, that doesn’t help, as everything is brought in and taken back out (as it’s not a port also), so the specialisms that the Sheffield steel industry offers is down to competence of workers and massive casting ability plus precision stuff, stainless steel and other specialisms still exist elsewhere in Sheffield so more work the better. I drive past this place most days.

        • Not sure you would use recycled steel for an artillery barrel, tight control of manganese and carbon composition is required for wear resistance.

          • I’m sure I read British steel-making is coming to an end with some recently announced closures, so it’s either going to be domestically recycled steel or imported.

          • Well they wouldn’t use recycled steel for that and this contract would mean bringing in the right steel, but the fact remains that it is brought in, not produced here anymore.

          • They use high quality re cycled steel and then melt it back to liquid. As to the required quality and composition well they use some of it for forgings that have far more exacting and exotic criteria than a gun barrel.

  6. Slightly off-topic but I hope they are working with RR Derby to set up electron beam welding in their new reactor facility.
    Would give RR an edge in SMR deployment if they could produce reactor vessels in 24h.

  7. Yay, they are starting the production of barrels. Of course no word about the rest of the artillery elements that they fit the barrels to. It’s not as if the Royal Artillery has got dozens of systems just lying around gathering rust.

    Going off at a slight tangent, I’ve always wondered why BAE hasn’t decided to fit an M777 into an Archer body and create a hellishly accurate piece of artillery that can shoot and scoot in no time. Has the RA received all of the 14 No. of the original spec Archers?

    • I think they haven’t fitted the M777 to Archer, is because the system is essentially Swedish and designed around the Bofors FH77. I’m sure after BAe took over Bofors, there are some specific contractual requirements, that means Bofors get first dibs. The main issue though is that M777 uses a 39 Cal length barrel. Whereas Archer uses a lengthened FH77 barrel of 52 calibres. Though BAe have subsequently developed a longer extended range 55 Cal barrel for the M777.

      There is an additionally problem with Archer, which is inherent due to the Volvo 6×6 vehicle. In that after firing, the barrel is lowered in to a protective box. This end of the box is right behind the driver/operator cab. So using the Volvo chassis, the system is limited to using the 52 barrel. However, using the MAN Hx truck chassis. The barrel is stowed above the cab, so it could use the longer barrel. As a note the Boxer RCH uses the same 52 Cal barrel as the Pz2000. Rheinmetall announced a few years back the development of a longer barrel (around 60 Cal if I remember correctly) for the Pz2000. Could this also be fitted to the Boxer RCH I wonder?

  10. As a Sheffielder, I like the idea of us doing our bit for Ukraine. Let’s get those huge arc electric furnaces, and the 2 colossal forge presses in action for the good of the nation. Drove past it today on my way home from work.

  11. Good Evening,

    A bit off the cuff unfortunately ( no immediate general chat available on general topics or am I wrong?). What about theUK producing the Iron Dome missile system to step up homeland Defence as it seems America intends to do?

    Best regards Nick Hamburg

    • Iron Dome wouldn’t really offer much more to UK GBAD than Land Sabre does. What we need is more Long Range capability such as SAMP-T, Patriot, THAAD and Arrow 3: class Missile Systems.

  13. You have to wonder how the 12 remaining Chally 2s barrels are doing? As after the hard use the Ukrainians are doing with the Chally, they must need replacing. As part of the Chally deal, did we give Ukraine our pitiful stock of spare barrels? Or are we robbing our reserve tanks to supply Ukraine with barrels. If that is the case, can SFM manufacture L30 barrels to replace our stock?

  14. I like the bit were it states profits from frozen assets. When thebwar ends, these will need to be repaid ro Russia. Without law, there will be chaos. Our leadership seems to have forgotten that laws serve a purpose.

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here